Four-screen cinema plan for former Light House

CGI pictures of what the newly refurbished cinema could look like have been released

A four-screen cinema is planned for the former Light House in a £2m revamp by an historic independent firm.

PDJ, a family firm with 125-year history, will run the picture house inside the Chubb Buildings in Fryer Street, Wolverhampton.

The new owners said they were "incredibly enthusiastic" about the venture and had signed a 30-year lease.

The company operates cinemas in Worthing, Romford, Kings Lynn and Lytham St Anne's.

The council and PDJ will be making a £2m joint investment in the cinema

The announcement comes just days after the City of Wolverhampton Council announced it had picked a preferred operator from eight bidders.

It is hoped that once open, the revamped venue will attract up to 130,000 visitors a year and create three permanent and up to 25 part-time jobs.

Light House closed in 2022 after 35 years in the city, prompting a petition from staff and visitors to save it.

Council leader Stephen Simkins said he was "delighted" PDJ were taking over the cinema in the former iconic Chubb lock factory building.

"They are suitably qualified cinema and entertainment experts, and it has been exciting to learn about their vision for the space and their confidence in our city," he said.

The new colour scheme mirrors the kit worn by the Wolverhampton Wanderers

PDJ's roots stretch back to 1897 when the Jervis family showed flickering pictures in the Lickey Hills.

Miles Jervis Cinemas operated its first cinemas in the 1920s, including the Chase Cinema in Chase Terrace, Staffordshire and the Alhambra cinemas in Tipton and Middlewich.

The firm acquired multiple cinemas across the Midlands and beyond following World War Two.

The New Kings Cinema in West Bromwich was one of the first purpose-built multi-screen cinemas in the UK.

The company was sold in the mid 1990s, but descendants Paul and Deborah Jervis founded PDJ Management, with the former Light House their first venture back in the West Midlands.

The new operators have entered into a 30-year lease to run the building

James Jervis, director at PDJ Management, said: "We hope to see this luxury yet affordable venue prove very popular with the city and we plan on engaging with the local arts community to showcase the best creative talent of Wolverhampton alongside the planned core offering of major, first run releases.

"This will be a cinema for all, aimed at everyone from families and students to seniors."